Levee board nearly filled to brim

Nearly all of the pieces are in place for the expanded nine-member board of the Pueblo Conservancy District.

Pueblo County commissioners this week appointed Bud O’Hara and Bill Alt to four-year terms on the board, but delayed action on the joint appointment with the city.

O’Hara is a former Pueblo Board of Water Works employee. Alt is president of the Turkey Creek Conservation District and lives on Fountain Creek north of Pueblo.

The city recommended former Pueblo stormwater director Dennis Maroney for a joint appointment to a five-year term, but County Commissioner Liane “Buffie” McFadyen said there should have been more consultation with the county before the appointment was suggested. Commissioners asked staff to look into whether other applicants — there were 10 total — should be considered.

A law passed by the state Legislature this year expanded the board from three members to nine, with Pueblo City Council and commissioners making future appointments, rather than a district judge.

The three court-appointed members will continue their terms. They are Paul Willumstad, Matt Garcia and Donna Phillips.

Earlier, council appointed Corrine Koehler, a former City Council member, and Ron Serna, an East Side resident, to the board.

The conservancy district primarily is responsible for maintenance of the Arkansas River levee. The board made waves last year when it decided to impose a fee on all property owners in Pueblo County in order to raise about $1 million annually for levee repairs.